The next Apex Legends special event kicks off tomorrow with a focus on Wraith. Today, the folks at Respawn posted a fantastic 8-minute short diving into the character’s backstory. Here’s to hoping this is only the first of many covering all the Legends.
The animation style isn’t quite as good as the cinematic trailer at launch or the Season 2 trailer, but it’s awesome getting more backstory on your favorite multiplayer characters. I loved it when Overwatch did it, and I love it here.
The short kicks off with Wraith hunting a mysterious scientist in the underbelly of an IMC Detention Facility. Things take a turn when she meets herself. The Dimensional Rift reveals countless versions of Wraith across different dimensions. The voices she hears warning of danger are herself, from another dimension. It’s a great visualization of Wraith’s passive ability.
The version of Wraith that ends up in Apex Legends isn’t out for revenge. She wants to know who she is. In the ‘first’ Wraith’s dimension we learn her name is Renee Blasey and her homeworld is Typhon (you can see it at the 30-second mark in the video). Yeah, Wraith is going to be disappointed when (and if) she finds out who she is. Titanfall 2 fans will recognize the planet. Typhon ended up being destroyed after the Fold Weapon misfired at the end of Titanfall 2.
These story shorts make me wish game publishers would team up with Netflix or Amazon and do full series. I can’t imagine the response to today’s short being anything short of extremely positive. Hopefully, that means we get full shorts for all the other characters. Give me Bloodhound next.
Tomorrow’s limited-time event is titled Voidwalker. The outfit we see the ‘first’ Wraith wearing will be available for direct purchase during the two-week event. We’ll also get a new mode called Armed and Dangerous. The loot table will be limited to snipers and shotguns with loot being “much harder to come by,” according to Respawn. A double XP weekend is also coming this weekend. Top 5 and Wins get the double XP on both account and Battle Pass progression.
Kings Canyon is also getting a few tweaks with part of the Project: Wraith facility being uncovered.
“Jump in to discover for yourself the mysterious remains of the research site, including a functional prototype portal that can be used to get an early jump on the base – or to escape and reinitiate skydive. And be sure to keep an eye out for other hidden lore details,” reads a description of the changes.
As a fan of Shotty Snipers from Halo, the new Armed and Dangerous mode sounds like fun. Respawn also says they’ll keep rolling out special limited-time modes in the future. And recent leaks hint at an October event (possibly featuring Gibraltar, or Halloween).